When John finds himself wandering along a muddy road, he has no idea how he got there or why he's covered in bruises. The only clue is the uniform identifying him as a footman from the nearby Rothingham Hall – and the mere thought of returning there terrifies him. When the kindly Lotd Vanderley finds him, John is taken in and provided with a new position as well as comfort and safety. His wounds heal, all except for the bloody marks on his neck which refuse to mend. Then the nightmares come, allayed only by the tender, erotic comfort provided by an anonymous male visitor in the night. Slowly, John begins to piece together his past, but once unsettling truths come to light, he must risk everything in order to end a legacy of fear and suffering – and to prove his loyalty to a man he's forbidden to love.